Stephen Coniglio jokes his Dybala-inspired goal celebration might have cost him All-Australian nod
STEPHEN Coniglio has declared the 2018 season the best of his career but remained philosophical after being snubbed from the 40-man squad for All-Australian honours.
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STEPHEN Coniglio has declared the 2018 season the best of his career after being snubbed from the 40-man squad for All-Australian honours.
The 24-year-old played 21 games this year and picked up an average of 27.9 possessions including 11.4 contested, 5.6 clearances, five tackles and booted 21 goals.
The numbers put him well and truly among the best contested midfielders in the AFL.
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“It has (been my best season),” Coniglio said.
“I had a really strong pre-season and it’s been my best season to date.”
Coniglio joked the mask goal scoring celebration he has occasionally used may have caused confusion over his identity.
“Maybe it’s because I do the mask celebration,” he said.
“I could have been mistaken for someone else in the team.”
The West Australian is a massive fan of Italian football team Juventus and has copied the mask celebration from Argentine forward Paulo Dybala.
Like the striker he has a philosophical approach to football and has learned to take the bad with the good.
“A lesson I learned when I was young was if you never expect anything you never get disappointed,” Coniglio said.
“My job in the team is to get them in a position to make a charge in the finals.
“I’m pumped for Whits (Lachie Whitfield) and for Cal (Callan Ward) they were selected. My job is to make sure they are selected come finals time.
“It would have been nice to be in the squad but it’s not the be all and end all. I’m more optimistic and excited about next Saturday.”
The final All-Australian team will be named at a function in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
Ward and Whitfield are the two Giants who have been nominated while Sydney pair Lance Franklin and Jake Lloyd have also been listed in the 40-man squad.